Oar-lock



No; 6l2,488. Patented Oct. l8, I898. J DEAN UAR LOCK. A imation filed Apr. 24, 1897.

(No Model.)

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,FUNITED STATES PATENT union...

JOHN DEAN, or RAOINE, WISCONSIN.

OAR-LOCK.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 612,488, dated October 18, 1898.

Application filed April 24, 1897. $eria1No. 638,825. (No model.)

To ctZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that 1, JOHN DEAN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Racine, county of Racine, State of Wisconsin, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Oar-Locks; and I declare the following to be'a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilledin the art to which it pertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification.

My invention relates to new and useful im-.

provements in the construction of oar-locks; and it consists in the matter hereinafter described, and pointed out in the appended claims.

The object of my invention is toprovide an improved form of oar-lock which shall be of simple, strong, and durable construction, capable of permitting all of the desired move ments of the oars in the operation of rowing, and, furthermore, capable of permitting the oars to be readily unshipped or detached when desired.

In the accompanying drawings, illustrating my invention, Figure 1 is a View, partly in elevation and partly in section, of an oar-lock constructed in accordance with myinvention. Fig. 2 is aview of the same, partly in elevation and partly in section, illustrating the movements of the parts in detaching or unshipping the oars. Fig. 8 is a top plan View of the socket-plate which is secured to the gunwale of the boat.

Referring by letters to said drawings, A designates the socket-plate, provided with an upwardly-extendin g hollow socket or housing A, having a central aperture a in its upper wall and a slot a communicating with said aperture and extending part way down one side of the socket or housing, as shown.

shown more particularly in Figs. 1 and 2.

the manner illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2.

Each of these wearing-plates G C is provided with a central raised portion, having in its outer side a transverse groove 0 for the reception of a ring E, which encircles the car in Upon one side of the ring E is provided a shank F, having lateral studs or projections f farranged to rest at right angles to the length of the oar and adapted for engagement with the interior of the socket or housing in the manner shown. The studs or projections are made cylindrical, so that the ring may oscillate freely with the movements of the oar, the T-shaped end of the'shank F simply having a rolling engagement with the metallic plate or washer B.

In assembling the parts together for use plate A is secured to the upper side of the gunwale of the boat by bolts or screws a? a as in Fig. 3, the metallic washer or plate B and the disk or washer B having been previously arranged in position within the socket or housing A. The wearing-plates 0 O are secured in position upon the oar D with the ring E in engagement with the grooves c c, and said wearing-plates are conveniently held in position upon the oar by suitable screws 0 c. It follows from the foregoing that so long as the plates 0 O are all held in engagement with the surface of the car the ring E will be retained in permanent, though rotatable, engagement with said plates, and thus with the oar, and in order to allow the free rotation of the oar within the ring the inside diameter of said ring is such that, while it embraces more or less closely the grooved plates 0 C, it will permit the oar, together with said plates, to be freely rotated Within the ring.

In order to operatively engage the oar with the gunwale of the boat, the oar is brought into position parallel with the gunwale and the T- shaped end of the shank F of the ring thereby brought into line with the slot a in the socket orhousing A. The ring is then tipped into the position shown in Fig. 2, and one of the studs or projections f f is inserted in the socket beneath the peripheral flange thereof, when the other stud or arm f may be passed down into the socket through the slot a in an obvious manner. Then when the shank F has been brought intoa vertical position the oar may be swung upon the shank F as an axis and brought into a proper position for rowing, in which position the studs or projections ff will be out of line with the slot (1 in the socket A, and in this condition of the parts the car will be incapable of detachment from the gunwale.

It will be observed that by the peculiar construction of the several parts of my improved device the oar is perfectly free and capable of endwise oscillation and at the same time is capableof free rotation within the ring E. In this mannerall of the desired movements of the oar for rowing are insured.

In case of wear upon the ring E or plates 0 C such Wear may be taken up by loosening one or more of said plates 0 C and slipping beneath the same a thin strip of leather, pa- 1 per, or other suitable material. Similarly if the washer B or the T-shaped end of the shank I F should become worn, so as to cause looseness of the parts, such wear may also be taken ping beneath the washer or plate B an additional or thicker washer or a disk 13.

In unshipping or detaching the cars the E will be caused to tip into the position indicated in Fig. 2, so as to free one of the projections or studs f upon engagement with the 3 socket and permit the same to be raised 5 3 aperture a and slot a, the ring E adapted to By my improved construction I am enabled 7 through the slot (4, thereby freeing the oar.

to provide a strong, durable, and satisfactory oar-lock which, while permitting all of the desired movements of the oars, is not liable to wear to any extent or to get out of order and which may, in case of the parts becoming worn by long continued use, be readily adjusted, so as to take up all such wear.

By reason of the described construction of the T-shaped end of the shank F and the rolling engagement of the same within the housing the movements of the ring and the oar are rendered free and all liability of the parts binding is obviated, the T-shaped end being always at right angles with the oar.

My improved device is, furthermore, very simple in construction and cheap to manufacture, the parts being of such form as to reduce the work of finishing and fitting said parts to a minimum. 7

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is

1. An oar-lock, comprising a ring adapted to encircle an oar and provided with an arm or shank terminating in laterally-projecting cylindrical studs, a suitable chambered housing for detachable engagement with said studs, and a plurality of wearing-plates adapted to be interposed between the oar and said ring and provided with transverse grooves in their outer surfaces for the reception of said ring.

2. An oar-lock comprising a plate attachable to a support and provided with a chambered housing, centrally aper'tured, at its top, 1; and having a slot communicating with one oars are first brought to a position substantially parallel with the gunwale, when byl pulling or drawing the car inwardly the ring 5 side of said aperture; a ring adapted to encircle an oar, a shank upon said ring and lat eral cylindrical studs upon said shank adapted for rotatable and detachable engagement With the interior of said chambered housing.

3. An oar-lock comprising the plate A, provided with the housing A having the central encircle an oar and having the shank F and lateral cylindrical studs f f for engagement with the housing and suitable wearing-plates adapted to be secured to the oar and to engage with the inner periphery of said ring.

In testimony whereof I sign this specification in the presence of two Witnesses.

JOHN DEAN.

Witnesses:

JOHN E. WILEs, A. GOETZMANN. 

